La Russa Tells of Canseco’s Boasting

Jose Canseco bragged about not having to work out as hard as other players on the Oakland Athletics because he had a “helper,” his former manager, Tony La Russa, said in an interview with “60 Minutes Wednesday.”

La Russa managed Canseco and the Athletics to consecutive AL pennants from 1988 to 1990, winning the World Series in 1989. La Russa’s interview was broadcast Wednesday night on CBS, three days after the network aired an interview with Canseco, who has admitted using performance-enhancing drugs and accused several former teammates of the same.

La Russa, now manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, told “60 Minutes Wednesday” that Canseco would boast about not needing a lot of time in the gym to build his strength.

“He would laugh about the time that other guys were spending there, and how he didn’t have to, because he was, he was doing the other ‘helper,’ ” La Russa said. “He was having help in a different way. You know, the easy way.”

Also, Sandy Alderson, executive vice president for baseball operations in the commissioner’s office, said Major League Baseball has no record of being contacted during the mid-1990s by an FBI agent who told the New York Daily News he warned baseball about steroid use among players.

This week, the Daily News reported that baseball executives failed to act on information provided by special agent Greg Stejskal. He said he told baseball security chief Kevin Hallinan that Canseco and other players were using illegal anabolic steroids.

“Because of the nature of the assertions made by Stejskal, we have reviewed our records to determine what, if any, contact there may have been between Stejskal and our office,” Alderson said.

He said there was no record of any contact with Stejskal during the period, adding: “Nor has the FBI provided us with any such documentation.”

Alderson said Stejskal left a message on Hallinan’s voice mail Tuesday. Alderson said the message stated that the contact to which Stejskal has referred occurred at an FBI conference in Quantico, Va., where Hallinan was speaking.

*

Seattle Mariner pitching prospect Travis Blackley will miss the season after having surgery to repair two tears in the labrum of his throwing shoulder.

Blackley was 1-3 with a 10.04 earned-run average last season before he was sent down to triple-A Tacoma. The left-hander finished the season on the disabled list.

Doctors wanted Blackley to rest and rehabilitate the shoulder over the winter, but his pain never went away.

Blackley, 22, was 17-3 in 2003 at double-A San Antonio, and 8-6 with a 3.83 ERA last season for Tacoma. In his minor league career, he is 36-19 with a 3.24 ERA.